


Hell's Studio

by StarRoseColors



Category: Original Work
Genre: Angst, Architectural Horror, Art, Art Gothic, Art Horror, Body Horror, Broken Families, Broken Friendships, Cartoon Physics, Dreams, Family, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Horror, Hurt/Comfort, Inspired by Bendy and the Ink Machine, Mentions of Past Ritual Sacrifices, Mentions of Violence, Mentions of War, Original work - Freeform, Past Relationship(s), Survival Horror, mentioned death, mentions of broken families, mentions of divorce, toon logic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-11
Updated: 2020-02-17
Packaged: 2020-08-19 11:30:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 11
Words: 13,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20209024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarRoseColors/pseuds/StarRoseColors
Summary: When her grandmother dies, fourteen-year-old Suzie Kalsky is sent to find out what happened to her great-grandfather Walt, a former animator who disappeared when Grandma Laika was young. The search leads Suzie to Blur Studios, Walt's old studio which shut down years ago. Forced to undergo a horrifying transformation, she must go through the studio to find a way out. For all of them.Dreams come true...~'~'~Inspired by Bendy and the Ink Machine.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [The Art of Being Alive](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12429660) by [Star_Going_Supernova](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Star_Going_Supernova/pseuds/Star_Going_Supernova). 

> This is inspired by BATIM and a bunch of fanfic:  
The Art of Being Alive by Star_Going_Supernova  
The Pulling Strings series by RiYuYami  
Toon Henry AU by @squigglydigg

Grandma Laika had not been a popular woman in her lifetime.

Something had died in her, people said, when her father disappeared. It hadn't been helped that his job before the war had kept him away for long hours. It had split him from his wife. In any way, Laika Kalsky had not made any friends. She had been alone when she slipped away in her bedroom in her sleep.

That explained why there weren't many people at the funeral.

The only reason Suzie and her family was there with a few other relatives was that her father was Grandma Laika's oldest son. There would be disapproval if they didn't go.

Suzanna "Suzie" didn't really have many memories of Grandma Laika. She and Suzie's father had gotten in some sort of disagreement before she was born. The only actual memory that she had were snapped words and a stern, disapproving face. Which made sense- her grandma had been a stern and disapproving person in life.

The funeral carried on like other funerals. Everyone was dressed in black and pretending to cry. The pastor droned about ashes when the coffin entered the ground. Dinner came afterward. People were more alive during that, talking about their own lives instead of the dead.

It wasn't until a week after the funeral that Suzie's mother knocked on her door. "We were going through your grandma's stuff when we found this letter addressed to you." She said. The confusion was clear in her voice. It was in a clean, white envelope with _Suzanna_ written in cursive on the front.

"Okay...?"

Why would Grandma Laika send anything to her? She'd never believed in Christmas or birthdays.

She opened it.

_Suzanna,_

_If you're reading this, I'm probably dead and didn't get a chance to talk to you before. So, this is why I wrote you this letter. I have a very important request._

_Why am I asking you about this?_

_Maybe, out of everyone in our family, you are the only person that bothered to try and talk to me during the few occasions you visit. Maybe. Or it could be that you remind me of my father. (I've seen your drawings, young lady. You two have the same art style. You're a wonderful artist.) This task is VERY IMPORTANT to me._

_I want you to find your great-grandfather._

_Yes, Grandpa Walt, in case you're wondering. _

_He's probably long dead._

_ I don't need you to actually "find" him. But, I need you to figure out what happened to him. The burden of not knowing where he is haunts me, even as I lay dying. _

_With this letter, I have a timeline of him, starting when he started working at Blur Studios and ending where I got the call that he was missing. When police searched his apartment, they found an odd telegram, enclosed in here as well._

_Remember, this is VERY IMPORTANT. I'm putting my trust in you, Suzanna._

_Love,_

_Grandma Laika_

Suzie blinked. Then blinked again. Setting aside the letter, she pulled out two more things: a neatly folded roll of paper which was revealed to be the timeline. The other, yellowed piece of paper must've been the telegram. She put that aside to look over the timeline.

"...Okay, Grandma."

* * *

"Hey, Dad?"

"Hm?" her dad replied, busy working at the stove.

"What was Great-Grandpa Walt like?"

Suzie received a confused look from her father. He opened and shut his mouth before he was finally able to say something. "I don't know honey. He disappeared when my mother was...around your age, actually. She never spoke about him."

"Well, what do you know?"

"Eh...not much. I do know he was an artist of this cartoon series before being drafted." He stopped stirring whatever to think. "Something about a demon." He hummed in thought. "Um...oh!" He snapped his fingers. "Daemon Demon! That's the name." Suzie gave him a blank look. "It was this little cartoon series about this troublemaking demon and all the whacky stuff he got in with his friends, Peace the Angel and Wolfie Wolf."

Suzie filed that info away. "Where was Grandma Laika when he disappeared?"

"With Grandma Ruth, I think. She and Walt divorced when he returned from the war. Why do you ask?"

"N...No reason. No reason at all."

* * *

A quick search on Youtube brought up the _Daemon the Demon_ series.

Daemon the Demon was revealed to have a circular head with two little horns and the classic dots for pupils in his eyes. He was dressed in a tux, little demon wings fluttering and a spiked tail swishing around. The cartoon itself was soundless and black and white, like other 1920s' cartoons, but she couldn't help but be charmed by the little dancing demon and his little adventures in his rubber hose style. Then she searched for the next two weeks. 

Google said that Blur Studios had been founded by Max Soundberg and Walt Klasky. The latter had been the first to sketch the little demon. But when World War Two had started, Klasky had been drafted. And there ended his role in Blur Studios. He had never returned after the war ended. The studio had struggled without him. People preferred the episodes where he had drawn. The merchandise sales had failed and the studio had sunk into debt and money trouble. Finally, it had shut down.

Suzie then noticed an article link.

It was titled 'Disappearances'.

Walt Klasky had been the latest in a series of disappearances of Blur Studio employees. Others had disappeared before him. No matter how hard she searched the internet or the timeline, she couldn't find when the disappearances had started. Then she searched again, finding a new shred of information.

Max Soundberg had been the actual first.

Curiosity taking over, Suzie returned to the telegram she had dismissed.

It was old, having yellowed over the years, with some black stains on it. But the words, printed in neat cursive, were still visible.

_Walt,_

_It's been a lifetime since we've worked together, hasn't it? Thirty years really slips away. I need you to come and visit the old workshop. I need to show you something._

_Your pal,_

_Max_

Suzie looked over the telegram with a frown. That was it. Thirty-one little words of the message, all friendly, nice and neat. But this had been the last piece of mail that Walt had received. She rolled over to her computer and did another search.

The location of Blur Studios was only a half-hour away. The next week, her parents would be on a weekend date. She had a bike.

She could bike.


	2. Chapter 2

"We should be home by one on Sunday. There's money for pizza and you know how to make pasta. Love you."

"Love you too." Suzie replied, keeping her eyes on the TV.

She waited until she heard the car driving away. Then Suzie quickly yanked her shoes on and grabbed her raincoat. The morning had dark grey clouds forming as she headed out. Her bike was red, still having ribbons on the ends of the handlebars. She started biking down the road, the route in her head from her constant study last night.

Her legs were ready to give out when she finally reached the town Blur Studios had been in. A fine drizzle had started up, blanketing the world in a fine mist. Suzie panted when she finally stopped by an old, beaten up mailbox at the bottom of a hill.

Wiping away the condensation, faded black words were revealed to be neatly printed on the rusting metal.

_Blur Studios_.

"Here."

Suzie abandoned her bike by the mailbox and headed up the hill. The mist parted to reveal the building.

Blur Studios had been located in an old building. It looked to be one story, all the windows boarded up. A sign was hung over the door, the studio name blurry. Suzie headed to the door. The knob turned easily in her hand.

The door swung open.

A strong gust of wind blew from the building. It was warm and startled a shriek from her, the faint scent of..._something_ hitting her nose. It was metallic and sickly sweet and _odd_. It reminded Suzie when she had accidentally stepped on a pen and cracked it open once.

It was the smell of ink.

Suzie stepped inside.

The inside of the building was dark, dimly lit by flickering lights. Pipes stuck out everywhere. Posters for various episodes hung on the walls. She walked down the hall into the main part. Along one wall was the image of three reels, Blur Studios' name and logo printed across.

Suzie started to walk. The halls twisted and turned, the floorboards creaking under her feet. The smell of mold filled the air. A few signs pointed to some rooms, all abandoned and empty. There were no signs of life, except for phrases messily written in dark ink, including **THE CREATOR LIED TO US** and **DREAMS DO COME TRUE**. One sign caught her attention: _**MACHINE**_. "That sounds interesting." She headed down that way.

She entered a large room with high ceilings...

And stared.

The Machine dominated the room.

It was a twisted thing of metal and gears and ink-stained pipes. A large spout hung from it. Suzie couldn't help but stare. A switch caught her attention. She gripped it tight and threw it back.

Nothing.

Just a weak sputter, a few drops of ink leaking out of the spout. "Um..." Suzie circled it, looking for the problem. What looked like large batteries were in a panel on the machine. She scratched her head. "Okay, so what is it?"

Suzie headed out of the room, determined to find a manual. She tried doors, most of them locked. One was unlocked, revealing a small office. Sketches of characters littered the desk. There was another thing: an old fashioned tape recorder, labeled HARVEY. She picked it up.

She pressed PLAY.

A male voice spoke from it with a faint Brooklyn accent.

_"The entire thing's crazy, crazy I tell you! I don't get what _ _Max's_ _ plan for this company is. The cartoons certainly aren't getting completed, tell you that. And I certainly don't get why we need that machine. It's messy, noisy and leaks everywhere. Who needs that much ink? And get this- Max made each of us donate something. To appease the spirits or whatever. Crazy. But he writes the checks, so I really can't complain without consequences. But, if one more of those pipes burst, I'm out of here!"_

She chuckled. "You and me both buddy."

Suzie put the recorder aside before continuing her trek, walking past Daemon Demon cutouts. Finally, she entered a room. Pedestals were set up, each holding something. These must be the donations. A wheel was set into the wall.

"Okay, let's try this."

Gripping the wheel, Suzie turned it with all her strength. Finally, something clicked. The entire building rumbled. She turned and left the room, shrieking in shock when a cutout stood there. It hadn't been there before.

She wasn't alone.

Suzie decided to store this information away for later and started to head her way back to the Machine. (It felt like the building was bigger on the inside because the outside certainly didn't look this big or long.) She ignored the feeling of being watched. Her foot kicked something when she turned a corner.

It was another audio log, labeled FRANK. Suzie picked it up and let it play. The male voice, gruffer than Harvey's youth was tense with frustration.

_"It's behind every goshdarn wall, I swear. Cold and dark and clammy- in one room, it's completely up to my knees! Who knew such crummy pipes could hold all this. Either Soundberg knows something about pipes and pressure I don't or he's a complete madman. I'm betting on the second. No matter how good the pay is, you bet I won't be taking any more jobs here."_

She set the log on a nearby shelf and continued on her way. Finally, she had returned to the Machine. She returned to the switch. Gripping it tightly, Suzie pulled it down with a solid clank and thump.

The building rumbled again and this time, there was sloshing and churning from every corner. The Machine rumbled as well before letting out what sounded like a cough. Then the ink started pouring.

It was cold. It was clammy. And it had the same odor.

And it was filling up the room.

"I...immediately regret this."

Suzie backed out of the room before turning and booking it. The pipes were bursting as she ran, spilling ink in massive puddles. The blonde girl ran, glancing back at what sounded like a growl. She paled when, in the flashes of light caused by the poor lighting and the spilling ink, a massive dark creature was following her. She managed to catch the sight of white fangs pulled into a grin and massive claws.

"Run, run, run!"

She turned a corner and her hopes soared. The exit was just up ahead, the door creaked open to reveal light. Suzie was almost there! The ink was up to her ankles. She ran furiously, reaching for the handle...

Then it felt like gravity had gripped her by the ankles and pulled her under.

Then she was in the ink.

It was so cold that her nerves were set alight. It hurt! It hurt so much that Suzie couldn't help but open her mouth and scream, except the ink was pouring in her now! Even as she drowned, she kept screaming.

Everything went dark.


	3. Chapter 3

Suzie awoke with a groan.

Everything hurt.

She sat up, blinking stars- hah, _stars_\- out of her vision before looking around. She was still in the studio, although it had dulled to shades of black and white. Suzie stood, something brushing her knees. She glanced down to see it was the edge of the striped scarf. She looked up-

Wait.

She hadn't been wearing a scarf.

Suzie glanced down to see that she was, in fact, wearing a scarf. Black boots had replaced her sneakers and was her leg white? 

"I...I gotta find a mirror." She left the room, heading through the halls. Finally, she stumbled into another room. A full-length mirror caught her attention. Suzie rushed to it and then stared. She had changed.

Before entering the studio, Suzie had been blonde with a little bit of chub. She had worn a raincoat, sneakers, and a striped shirt with jeans. Now, she wore a trenchcoat version of the raincoat with a sweater, boots, and tights under jean shorts. A beret sat on her head.

But...

But she was a _toon_.

She had been slimmed down. Everything had a little bit of curve and black and white. The scarf covered where her neck would be. Pulling off the beret, she confirmed that the little ponytail that sat on top of her shoulder-length hair still remained. Her eyes had gotten bigger and the iris and pupil had been replaced by little black dots.

"Okay, don't panic. This is...a stress dream! That's all!" Her body ached. "...A really weird one." She grinned confidently. Then she frowned and pulled her cheek. It didn't hurt when she did. She released it and it snapped back. Rubbing the sting away, Suzie let out a moan. Then she started patting herself over.

Something drew her eye to the next room over. Suzie entered, glancing around.

Then she paled.

Tables were scattered around, covered in medical and surgical equipment that was stained black. Outstretched and strapped down on a vertical lab table, was Wolfie Wolf. His eyes were crossed out, clearly signaling death. His chest was ripped open, ink splattered everywhere.

"Wolfie...?"

Painted on the wall in black, once again, were the words **THE CREATOR LIED**. A shimmer of gold drew her attention. Another message was written in gold. _I'm sorry buddy, I'm so sorry, I'm so __**sorry**_**... **The last word was written sloppily next to more gold. _Max, what have you done..._

Suzie turned away from the gruesome scene before she could throw up.

She stumbled out of the room, mindlessly walking before she entered what must've been the music department. There was still instruments everywhere and a projector set up, playing a jazzy little tune as a cartoon of Daemon rolled. Another audio log sat on a shelf, marked JUNE.

_"So far, I'm liking the job. _ _The character they want me to voice is just adorable! But when I was getting introduced to the music director, Ron _ _Menken_ _, this other woman burst in. Turns out she was _ _Peace's_ _ old voice and nobody had told her that she was going to be replaced. She went into this fury once the situation was explained. _ _Menken_ _ told me she's like that."_

Something prickled up Suzie's spine.

Something was wrong.

The little tune had started to twist until it no longer sounded cheerful. It sounded more like a bunch of instruments were contesting to make as much noise as possible while keeping to the tune. Then it went silent.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Walt?"

Suzie slowly turned.

The background had blanked on the screen, leaving a white space. Daemon was still there with a smile on his face.

Staring at her.

"Don't be a stranger, old buddy! It's been what, forty, fifty years? It's been so long since you came back home- HEY!" Suzie had sprinted out of the room because, nope, she did _not_ sign up for this.

She ran until she couldn't run anymore. She stopped, panting as she leaned on her knees. Suzie finally managed to collect herself, standing up straight. She noticed her reflection in an ink puddle and stared.

Her outfit had changed.

Looking down, she could see it had changed to a white shirt with lace edges and a ruffled collar. A black vest was over it, matching the black pants and boots she wore. The reflection showed the clasp at her throat. "Wha- How?! I never changed! Oh boy..."

Okay. This toon world was confusing.

Suzie took a step.

Then something slammed into her head.

Stars squeaked around her head. She fell to the floor. Before her eyes slid shut, she saw a dark figure stare down at her. There was a crowbar in their hand

"Sweet lamb, sweet lamb, it's time to sleep."

* * *

"Ow..."

Her head hurt.

Suzie's eyes slid open. Last thing she remembered... "Where...where am I?" She looked around, seeing a large empty room. Looking down, she saw she was tied to a pole in the middle of a pentagram. "Oh boy...what the @$%@ did that devil do-"

"_STILL YOUR TONGUE!_"

The echoing male voice came from speakers mounted on the walls. _"HOW DARE YOU INSULT MY LORD! You have the gall to insult him?! He, who you abandoned? He who has graciously spared you and welcomed you to his world? I will not allow this stand! I shall prove myself to him! I will have him notice me!"_ It sounded like the ravings of a madman.

"Who are you?" she yelled. "What's going on? What's the meaning of all this?"

"The meaning...?" A door creaked open. Suzie's head shot to it and she paled.

The person that stepped out appeared to be made of pure ink. It sloshed off him, staining the pants he wore. She couldn't see his face. It was covered by a Daemon mask, the grin broken out.

"Isn't it obvious, sweet lamb? It's time to pay for your sins." He entered the room fully. "I am honored that you came all the way to visit me. It makes this feel...cruel, in a way."

She let out a shaky breath. "What happened to you?"

A giggle escaped him. "What happened? What happened?! Why, I've been enlightened! My eyes have been opened." His finger tapped her nose.

"You...you're not making any sense. Look, just untie me, okay?" She squirmed a bit before continuing to talk. "We can talk and work this out. We can figure out a way-"

"QUIET! I won't listen to the words of a traitor. Especially you, _Walt_." Her great-grandfather's name was spat out like a bad taste. "You...yes, I was like you once. Blind, heedless of what had occurred when we abandoned him. But I soon came to learn, to understand...I care!" He really was crazy. Suzie resumed trying to break free. "I am loyal. I am a traitor no more."

"You're crazy!"

He continued, ignoring her words. "And I will serve him well by carrying out righteous vengeance in his name!" He spread his arms wide. "Hear me Daemon! Hear me! Arise from the darkness and claim this tender lamb-"

"RON!"

Everyone's heads shot to the doorway.

The dancing demon himself stood there. His expression was full of anger. "What in blazes d'ya think you're doing?!" He stomped inside.

"My lord! I-I offer you this-"

"Quit your blabbering! Who do you think you are, tryin' ta move in on my piece like this?!" He aimed a gloved thumb at himself. "Takin' payback is my biz and I'm not done takin' it from either of you!"

_"What did I do?!"_ Suzie protested.

"But- My lord! I want nothing more than to serve you!"

Like in his cartoons, Daemon pulled out a giant mallet from behind him. "SERVE THIS, YA NUT!" Ignoring Ron's screaming pleas for mercy, he brought it down. Ink spread from underneath the head. Suzie paled.

"Oh, come on." He threw the mallet away. "Are ya just gonna lie there 'n' mope?" He kicked the puddle. "Get up! I'm not done with you! Hey!" He splashed it a bit. "Ron! I'm talkin' to you!" But Ron didn't come.

He looked up in confusion. "Hey! What's goin' on? What's the big idea-"

Daemon saw Suzie's pale face and the horror probably in her eyes.

He glanced down at the puddle.

"Whuh...no." An echo had slipped into his voice. Hysterical laughter began as his eyes shrunk. "Max said-"

Without another word, he turned and ran out of the room.

A few minutes later, Suzie blinked out of her horror. "Hey! Is anybody going to untie me?" She looked around, seeing nobody. "Please?" There was a sound from outside. "Hello?" She could hear footsteps.

Then they entered.

"...Wolfie?"


	4. Chapter 4

Daemon paused as he stood before Max's office door, trying to calm his breathing. He pushed back the ink dripping down his face. While he had no doubt that the studio director would listen to him, no matter his state, he didn't want to worry the elderly man by looking so... unstable. He didn't want to Max to think that he was going the same way as Ron and the others.

Ron...

The very thought of the music director made him shake. His ink began to drip even worse. He could still hear the man's screams for mercy as the little devil brought the mallet down upon him. He could still see the puddled remains in his mind's eye.

Daemon took a deep breath, trying to settle his nerves, and pushed such visions to the back of his mind. When it felt like his ink was back in the right place, he opened the door and strolled in. He closed it behind him and offered his biggest, widest grin to the director.

"Hey Max!" he called out, his voice as cheerful as he could make it. His face fell, however, when he saw the man's worried expression. Quietly, he walked up to the desk in the center of the room. "What's wrong?"

"Daemon, my little devil darling. Just the toon I was hoping for. Sit down, please. I... have something very serious to talk to you about," Max instructed, his tone grave as he motioned to a nearby chair.

It was about Ron, it _had_ to be about Ron.

Or Walt and the kid that had fallen into the trap instead.

Without a word, the little devil did as he was told. He took another deep breath, calming himself as he prepared for Max's 'serious matter'. All the while, his mind was racing, but focusing on the one question of _how does he know?! _Once he was comfortable, he waited patiently but nervously for Max to start.

"We have a problem, Daemon. _She_ has come up from Level 20," Max stated, his tone uncharacteristically flat.

"She?" the demon repeated confusedly. But then, as the memory clicked into place, he frowned angrily. "You mean... _her_? I thought she was gone for good."

"No one can die in here, Daemon." Max waved a hand dismissively. "You know that."

Shock ran through Daemon's body.

Max didn't know about Ron, didn't know that the music director was dead. Or... maybe he did know about what happened, and was subtly telling the demon that the man wasn't dead. But, if he wasn't dead, then ... had he just returned to the ink? To rebuild himself from scratch again?

It actually made a lot of sense, and Daemon felt himself relax at the thought. He almost wanted to giggle at forgetting such an obvious thing. However, concern quickly returned.

Ron didn't have a very good track record with rebuilding himself, and when he did, he always seemed a little more... _off_ than previously. If he'd been some nutty zealot before, he probably wasn't going to rebuild himself much better next time.

"I have a theory, though," the director continued, snapping the toon out of his internal monologue. He steepled his fingers and pressed them to his lips. After a moment of pause, he lowered his hands back to the desk. "Walt's been transformed, hasn't he? And you've been upstairs helping him adjust to this new world. I think she realized that your attention was elsewhere and took the opportunity to return to her rat's nest on Level 9."

Another shock ran through Daemon. In his panic over Ron, he'd completely forgotten about the young girl that had replaced Walt. She was probably still there, bound to that post...

Whoops.

"About Walt..."

"I asked Wolfie to look after him for a while, don't worry," Max assured. "Dealing with _her_ is more important than any grudge towards him right now. You know what she does to the imperfect toons on the lower level. You know what would happen if she gets a hold of Wolfie or Peace."

"Yeah, I know what she does," the toon muttered darkly. He silently slid off his chair and looked up at the director with a serious expression on his face. The kid caught up in the spell could wait. "It won't happen. I'll go deal with her now."

Without another word, Daemon calmly walked out of Max's office. He closed the door behind him and made his way to the stairs. He knew better than to take the lift.

_She_ had a way of using it.

He didn't notice the dark tendrils of ink stretching out from beneath his feet.

~'~'~

"Well, it's nice to meet you Suzie!"

Suzie rubbed her arms where the ropes had been. There were no marks when she rolled up her sleeves. "Nice to meet you too Wolfie." The cartoon beamed happily at the use of his name. She had to resist the urge to let out an aw. "Mind explaining what's going on?"

"Well, I honestly don't know. Max wanted to try something new this cycle and you probably got caught in it. Walt was supposed to be here." He rubbed his neck sheepishly. "Sorry, Suzie."

"It's okay."

"I'll take you to Max. He'll know how to help you!" The toon said eagerly. He bounded out of the room. Suzie had no choice but to follow. "You know, you have a liking for really weird places." he said when she caught up.

"Wha- Wolfie. I wasn't in there for fun. I was tied up. What did you think I was doing?"

"I thought it would be better not to ask."

The girl sighed. 

The two walked down the halls. The cartoon version of the studio still had the puddles and dripping pipes and was generally quiet, but Wolfie walked without fear. His pace was long, making Suzie scurry to keep up. He suddenly stopped in the middle of an intersection.

"What? What is it?"

"I...kinda forgot which hallway I went through." the wolf admitted sheepishly. "Wait, no, it was the right! Or maybe it was the left?" As the toon puzzled, Suzie noticed a door was ajar. "Maybe it was...Suzie? Hey, wait!" He noticed her enter and quickly followed.

The room was dark. In the light provided by the outside hallway, she could see Peace the Angel cutouts and posters. Another room was visible up ahead, a large sign proclaiming THE SWINGING LITTLE ANGEL! The door suddenly slammed shut. Wolfie let out a yelp, gripping onto Suzie. They watched as screens flickered on, revealing Peace the Angel's face. A little tune started to play.

_I dance all over the clouds,_

_The voice of the heavens,_

_I'm Peace the Angel!_

Then the screens flicked off as a light from the room ahead flicked on, revealing a plane of glass between them. It looked like some sort of sound booth. The tune continued to play as the two drew close.

_The voice of the heavens..._

Then something slammed into the glass. Suzie barely had time to see the halo sticking out of her head before the female on the other side let out a scream. "I'M PEACE THE ANGEL!" 

Then they were plunged into darkness.

A sudden giggle made her freeze. "I see you there." a velvet voice said. "A new fly in my endless web. Come along, little one. Let's see if you're worthy." The light of the room flicked on, revealing a large hole had been punched into the glass.

"How did we miss hearing that?" Suzie finally managed out.

"I don't know. Maybe Max sent Peace up ahead to greet Walt! New cycle, new plan!" Wolfie's tone was bright and full of hope. He released her arm. Before she could say _I don't think that was Peace_, the word "cycle" caught her attention.

"Cycle?"

Before he could say something, a door opened. The two shared looks before walking through it. They had entered a new room. A loud creaking pierced the air before a lift moved up, out of the floor. The door opened.

The two shared looks and entered.

"_You're so interesting. So different. Walt was like that once._" "Peace"'s voice said, the doors closing. Suzie's eyes landed on a speaker on the corner of the lift. _"I have to say, I want to know more. Looks like you have a date with an angel! Level 9."_

Cloud nine. Clever.

_"Just follow the screams."_

The speaker turned off as the lift descended down. "Hey!" Wolfie said after a minute. "Your outfit changed!"

Suzie looked down. She was dressed in a frilly dress with white stockings and black Mary Janes. Feeling the back of her head, she found a large bow in her hair. She pulled her hand away. She let out a breath.

"Someone's gonna get hurt from designing this!"


	5. Chapter 5

The lift stopped and the doors creaked open. Level 9 was open. Suzie glanced at Wolfie, who had started to tremble. "Maybe you should wait here." She suggested. "I could go and see what she wants."

"No!" He gripped her arm, still trembling. "We go together."

_"The wolf is right. Step out of your cage."_

"We didn't need a comment." Suzie grumbled, glaring at the speaker.

There was no answer. 

The two headed out of the lift and through a hallway into a small room. It was eerily silent. As they crossed a bridge over a river of ink, she swore that she saw a face peeking out from it. She decided to ignore it.

"You'll like Peace. She's a really sweet gal." Wolfie said as they approached a pair of metal doors. He hadn't stopped trembling. This was a possible sign that he had realized that whoever was speaking wasn't the actual Peace. The metal doors slid open.

The room ahead was large. The floor was completely submerged with the dark, tar-like ink. There was a path across made of wooden planks to another set of metal doors. But that wasn't what would've made Suzie pale if she was still human.

There were operating tables, like the ones upstairs. Strapped to all of them were copies of the wolf next to her. All of them had their chests ripped open, eyes crossed out. Turning her eyes away from the gruesome scene, Suzie's eyes landed on another recorder, marked SUNNY. She tapped on Wolfie's shoulder, turning his wide-eyed stare away from his copies, before pressing PLAY.

_"I got the part! Mr. __Klasky__ heard me auditioning and burst in, talking about how I sounded exactly what he thought Peace would sound like!" _The female voice was cheerful and sweet. _"The music director, Ron, said I was pretty good too."_

With that, they descended down.

_"Look at them all. It took so many of them to make me so beautiful."_ "Peace" said over what must've been another speaker. Her voice was different, softer. Suzie and Wolfie shared looks before walking down the stairs. They helped each other up on the path, her once having to grab his overall strap to prevent him from falling. _"Anything less than perfect was left behind."_

"What's the point of this-"

"Shush! She's havin' a monologue."

_"I-I...I had to do it. She made me."_

Okay. That was creepy. Her voice had shifted to a softer, higher tone. Finally, the two were on solid ground. The doors opened, allowing them entry. The two shared looks before entering.

It was a lab. An operating table was flat with ink-stained knives on a nearby tray. An ax was lodged in a Daemon cut out. "Peace" was perched on a platform, messing with a control panel. Another toon- thankfully, not Wolfie- was strapped to another operating table next to her. When they approached, sudden volts of electricity shot through the deformed toon's body.

The screams would haunt Suzie for years.

It felt like forever, the screaming. Wolfie was gripping her so tightly, she was about to fall over. Then the electricity faded. The toon slumped over, clearly dead. "Peace" was staring down at them. Her eyes were cold.

"Now, we come to the question." She said, the words done in a drawl. "Do I kill you? Do I tear you apart to my heart's delight?" The Wolfie-Suzie pile stared at her. "I have no obligation to keep you alive." The eye landed on the girl. The 'angel' stared at her.

"...You look like your grandfather." The other voice was back. The girl blinked as she tried to place the familiarity of it.

Realization suddenly hit. She had just heard it on the recorder.

"Sunny?"

There was a long moment of silence.

"...I'm afraid there's not much of Miss Buss left, Miss Klasky." The an- no, the former voice actress said finally. "Or Miss Simmons." And didn't _that _send a new horror through her. Suzie gently pried off Wolfie's hands. With her new freedom, she clambered onto the platform to be eye to eye with them.

They were wearing what looked like a black flapper dress with high heels and a choker around the neck. What originally looked like long black gloves was actually ink. Pearl white horns peeked out from long dark hair. One half of "Peace"'s face was smooth and perfect, an eye taking in Suzie. The other had massive gaps in her cheek, revealing white teeth. The eye socket was empty. Raggedy wings hung from her back and her halo looked like it had been shoved deep into her skull.

Suzie reached out to brush the perfect cheek, staring at what remained of Sunny and June. "What...what happened?" she finally managed out. Tears were pressing painfully in her eyes, too large for ordinary ones.

"Peace" snarled, slamming a fist into the wall. Suzie flinched back, Wolfie mirroring the movement. "_Max __Soundberg_ happened." Rage was clear in their voice and Suzie was able to pick out the two voices that made it. "He lured us, one by one. He sliced Sunny's vocal cords clean through and June was just the backup plan, which he used!"

Their laugh was hysterical.

"Do you know what it's like in the ink?!" Before someone could say a word, they continued. June's anger and Sunny's grief was in every word. "It's a buzzing, screaming bunch of voices. You're pressed together from every side and there is no silence! No _silence_!" They hit the wall again. A large dent formed. "When we crawled out of the ink like this, we swore that we hated Soundberg."

"What does Walt have to do with this?"

The 'angel' leaned over them. Like in anime, Suzie felt their face grow grey and a large sweatdrop roll down their forehead. "Max manipulated us into being a villain. A villain for his hellish little fairytale. But, no matter."

They moved forward. She took a step back.

They reached out. Before she could move, they had grabbed her arm and yanked her close enough to whisper in her ear. "I'll say this once: _Run_." They shoved her away and off the platform. Suzie, pale, nodded and quickly grabbed Wolfie's hand.

They ran out of the makeshift lab, hearing the screech of metal. When they reached the ink floor, Wolfie yanked Suzie into his arms, then ran across the path. The entire room had begun to shake.

Once across, he set her on the ground. Dodging falling pieces, they ran. "The stairs!" he yelled, pointing to a door. She and he scrambled for it, rushing up the stairs. Suzie dodged a large plank before trying to open the door.

The knob was stuck.

"Oh come on!"

She slammed her shoulder against it. It opened, the two spilling out. When she looked up, it was to meet the surprised gazes of two toons. It was silent before Suzie noticed dark ink lines across the wall. Something was setting off alarm bells in her.

Her eyes landed on what looked like a closet. "In the closet." she ordered. Thankfully, the toons seemed to share her unease. They all rushed to the door, realizing it was a tiny space. Suzie picked up Daemon and managed to squish in.

Then she peered through a small rectangle cut into the door.

And held her breath.


	6. Chapter 6

It was extremely cramped in the closet.

Wolfie took up the most room, gripping her shoulders. He had tried to lodge himself in a corner. Who she assumed was the actual Peace was pressed against her side, gripping her shirt with trembling hands. Damien himself gripped her shirt. Suzie was pressed against the door, staring with wide eyes through the little slot cut into the door.

It was silent outside. The only sound was the dripping of ink. The dark shadows of ink crawled across the floor. Then there was squishing.

A figure entered the space outside.

It was tall, covered with dripping ink. Suzie squinted, swearing she saw something white on the ink creature. She tried to steady her breathing to prevent them from being discovered. Then the loudspeaker crackled on.

_"Hello there, Ink Demon."_

What was "Peace" doing?!

_"I wonder if you've heard the news. Your last chance to be perfect is gone."_

Please shut up.

_"You'll soon be gone..." _There was a moment of silence._ "Good! We need less you here. And more me." _They were taunting it! Provoking whoever this was- what were they thinking?! Then there was a sudden clash of noise.

The ink monster had disappeared. There was a loud, hellbent screech that had Wolfie attempting to climb on Suzie. She tried to steady herself and not make a sound. Then there was a slam against the door.

There was squishing footsteps, walking away.

Then it was silent.

Suzie opened the door. It let out a creak. They stepped out, she setting Daemon down, something crunching under her foot. She looked down to see it was a speaker.

It was sizzling from a large, inky handprint.

She opened her mouth to say something. Nothing came out. She tried again. 

"What...the @8^5# was that?"

* * *

"Stupid demon..."

Suzie stalked away from the room, determined on not looking back. She could hear Daemon storming away as well. Peace and Wolfie were left in the middle.

_Apparently_, the small demon had been sent to look for the remains of Sunny Buss and June Simmons that was now "Peace". Now he had no idea where she was. When they had looked, the stairs that Suzie and Wolfie had used to escape was completely blocked by what looked like rotten wood.

"Suzie, Suzie, Suzie!"

She whirled around so fast that her beret nearly fell off. (What the heck was with the changing outfits?! She was back in the trenchcoat and the scarf outfit.) "_What do you want._" She practically growled out. At Wolfie's wounded look, anger was replaced with regret. "S-Sorry. I'm just..."

"A little stressed?" he suggested.

A hysterical giggle escaped her. "You have no idea." Suzie moved to a nearby wall and slid down it, splaying her legs out. She probably looked like a contrite toddler, but she was too tired to care. After a moment, Wolfie settled down next to her. "I nearly drowned in ink, got transformed into a *$!* _toon_," Another giggle was let out at the sound of a bicycle bell replacing the swear. "And then I keep getting mistaken for my great-grandpa and got nearly sacrificed and saw an ink person die and nearly died myself and on top of _that _*^$#*(, my grandma _died _a few weeks ago, so yeah! Stressed would be a good description of me."

Wolfie looked distressed. "I'm so sorry about your grandma!"

She waved off the apology. "Wasn't that close to her, she wrote to me before she died asking me to find out what happened to Grandpa Walt. It was her last request or something." Smoothing her hands down her face, Suzie let out a groan.

Okay, enough self-pity.

"That's enough of that." She stood up, brushing off her outfit. "I gotta figure a way out."

She froze at the words of "You're leaving?" She looked at the Wolfie. There was, once again, that wounded look aimed at her.

Suzie swallowed back the lump in her throat. "I have to. Please understand-"

"No, no, I understand." Wolfie stood. She realized how he towered over her. If he wanted to, he could drag her around easily. "You have a family. You don't need to be dragged down by the past." He turned to walk away, giving one last sad glance at her.

Suzie stood there for what felt like a very long time.

Then, with a sigh, she turned and walked into the studio.

* * *

Walt was gone.

His Creator was _gone_.

The Ink Demon sloshed through the pipes, humming his theme song absently. He had wanted to deny it when "Peace" had said it. But he had looked through his eyes, through his images. Walt had finally found his peace.

The Ink Demon was _furious_.

He needed to be whole, he needed Walt to fix the damage Soundberg had done to him. Sure, he had abandoned the studio. But he was his Creator. A piece of his soul rested in the Ink Demon. It had rested there ever since Walt Klasky had drawn Daemon the Demon at fourteen. There was something magic about how Walt had practically breathed life into his toons as the years went past. He grew older as his drawings grew specific and into the toons that would be Peace the Angel, Wolfie Wolf...

And Daemon the Demon.

The star of the show.

Those days had passed. But they could've come again if Max Soundberg had decided to not get in the way. Decades of being forced in a cycle had taken its toll. And the door had opened and Walt's soul had gone flying into heaven.

Leaving the Ink Demon trapped in a blind, squishy body.

But he had felt something when "Peace" was taunting him.

He had almost mistaken it for Walt. Except, this soul was a little duller, not as bright as Walt's had been. It was probably because the latter had been his Creator and while this soul was just as creative, it didn't sing out to him like Walt. But he had looked.

A granddaughter.

Walt had had a _granddaughter_.

Great-granddaughter to be exact, but who cared? Her soul was close enough to be a good replacement. The Ink Demon stopped in the pipes. Looking through his eyes, he looked for the girl. Now, where...

There.

The girl was alone, wandering around the level. She paused at one of the golden messages, scrawled on one of Peace's posters. This one read **What happened here? **

With a miserable look, she reached out and pressed her fingers to the dried ink. "Wish I knew." Her attention was drawn to another recorder on the floor, marked GRANT. The Ink Demon watched as she played it, paling as the screeches and praying and pleading started playing. She stopped it in the middle, dropping it as if she had been burned. Sweat and fear were clear in her features

She was clueless and nervous and desperate.

She was perfect. 

Just like how Walt had been. And this time, the Ink Demon would let his games lead her into his arms. She would make him perfect, whole. And, perhaps, she would lead him to Soundberg.

A loud _bang _and a cry of shock drew his attention again.

The girl was covered in what looked like flour. Copy number thirteen was cackling a few feet away. He sprinted away as she tried to wipe off the flour. "Daemon!" she yelled, running after him. "Come back here!"

Let her have her fun.

The Ink Demon needed to go find some tapes, set the stage, prepare for his game.

To be whole.

Demons always did like games.


	7. Chapter 7

Peace wasn't sure what to think.

Sure, Max had said Walt had abandoned them. There had been a clear mix up with the spell, dragging the girl that Wolfie had said was named Suzie in instead. But there was certainly no need for Daemon to prank the poor girl! Even if she said some things...

_"Yeah, and "Peace" told me how he sliced her throat open!"_

She stopped at the thought. She shook it off after a moment. Max wouldn't lie to them, although there was probably a few details he exaggerated on. But he had never truly lied to them.

Right?

"Of course not!" Wolfie said when she asked. Of course, the wolf was really innocent and probably too trusting so maybe he wasn't the best person for this conversation. "Why would he? Walt..." He paused, looking sad. Before Peace could ask if he was alright, there was the sound of Daemon's laughter and a door slamming shut. Suzie swerved into view.

She was dressed in her dress. But it and her poor hair bow were covered in what looked like honey and bird seeds. Her cheeks were dark as she panted for air. "_Where is he?" _she growled out. Frustration was clear on her features.

"I honestly have no idea." Peace said. Suzie let out a moan of frustration. "What on earth happened to you?"

"He dumped honey all over me and then a sack of birdseed." Suzie attempted to wipe the mess off her, only further creating a mess. "Then he released a cage full of birds and went running." She now looked only exhausted. "Do either of you know how I can get cleaned up?"

"Try wiping it off." Wolfie suggested.

Suzie stared at him. "I...I've tried that. It's honey, it's supposed to stick."

"Then shake it! Like this!" He shook his body around. When he stopped, his fur poofed up. After a moment, Suzie followed. The honey stayed firmly on even as her hair went wild. Another groan of frustration was let out.

Peace thought before a lightbulb went over her head. "Ooh! I have an idea!" Everyone turned to stare at her. "Suzie, go around the corner. Make sure we can't see you."

Suzie's expression went flat. "I...seriously doubt that will help."

A light bulb lit up over Wolfie's head as well. He probably realized what Peace was trying. "No, she's right! Make sure we can't see you!" Suzie glanced between them before letting out a huff. She turned and stalked down the hallway, then went around the corner.

"Now come back!"

"This is really dumb..." Suzie said as she reappeared in view. The honey and birdseed was gone and not a hair out of place. The girl looked down and let out a yelp, jumping back. "What the- How?!"

"Toon logic! That probably explains why your outfits keep changing."

Suzie seemed to digest this information before smiling.

"Do...do you think you guys could teach me?"

* * *

"C' mon Suzie you can do it!"

"We believe in you!"

The trio had found an empty room for their purposes. Suzie, outfit returned to vest and slacks, took a breath. They had said this would be easy. Of course, they had always been toons. She reached behind her...

Only to pull out nothing.

She flexed her hand behind her, hoping to find _something_. But like the last dozen times, there was nothing there. Suzie let out a defeated sigh. "I can't do it." She pulled her hand back. "I guess, since I'm not an actual toon, that I don't have a Hammerspace."

The toons looked at each other with thoughtful frowns, clearly trying to figure out a solution.

Hammerspace, for those who were wondering, was one of the oldest cartoon tricks in the book. It was a gag where a toon could reach behind them and simply pull something out of thin air. It was left to the audience to try and figure out where the object came from and years later, the term _Hammerspace_was coined.

For an hour now, Suzie and the toons had been trying to find her Hammerspace. Every toon should have one, after all. Hers probably wouldn't be very big, but it would still be _something_. Her lack of one was...concerning, to say the least.

"Maybe you're thinking about it too hard?" Wolfie offered as a weak suggestion. "I know you're from the real world but maybe...don't think about it?"

"How can I find something if I'm not thinking about finding it?" Suzie sighed, carding her fingers through her loose hair. "Sorry guys, I didn't mean to waste your time." Kicking her feet, she readied to suggest forgetting it.

"...Do you know what you're looking for?"

Suzie stared at Peace. "What?"

"Well," the angel said, shuffling in place. "I always found it helpful when I had an idea in mind of what I was looking for. Something small...like a harp!" She reached behind her. True to her word, Peace pulled out a miniature harp. She played a few chords, the other two clapping when she stopped.

Wolfie seemed to have caught the idea with a grin. "Yeah! Or a great big mallet-"

"I don't need to see that one!"

The first time, with Ron's screaming and pleading, was enough for her. Thankfully, Wolfie stopped. "Go ahead, try it!" he said with a grin.

Suzie sighed and nodded. Closing her eyes, she thought. Something small...An idea struck her. She carefully reached behind her, fingers reaching out. C'mon, c'mon, _c'mon_...Something brushed against her fingers. Suzie's hand wrapped around it. And with a flourish, she whipped out the pen.

It was a vintage pen, one an artist would use back during the 20s and 30s to create cartoons. The three gathered around. Suzie checked it- full of ink. The toons clapped as she considered it. "So," Wolfie said. "Could you draw something? Could it come to life?"

"Well, we don't need anything else alive in here." Suzie said.

A thought struck her and she grinned.

* * *

"There! Done!"

Suzie stood up from her drawing, little puffs of dust appearing as she clapped-wiped her hands. Her outfit had changed to the favored black vest and slacks. They made her feel more like an animator. Tucking her pen into the bun she had pulled her hair in, she headed to the head of the hall.

"Daemon!" She called, looking both ways. "Hey Daemon~!"

Keeping track of where she walked, she called for the little devil. Her path stopped when she turned a corner. The hallway in front of her, built lower with two stairs, was flooded with ink. A look revealed two leaking pipes.

"Suzie?"

She glanced behind her to see Wolfie. "I thought I told you to stay put."

"Well, you were kinda taking a bit and I got a little worried."

"Aw, don't worry! I'll be back soon-" She stopped when _something_ burst out of the ink flooded hallway. The two let out screams at the sight.

It looked...humanoid. In shape. It reminded her of Ron, body goopy and dripping. However, it had no legs, dragging itself with hands. There was another one, eyes gaping sockets and too large gaping open to let out moans. Suzie turned to the wolf to scream _run _but something gripped her ankles.

She fell to Wolfie's scream.


	8. Chapter 8

Suzie's eyes opened.

It was dark. She was floating in it, the darkness rippling around her. It felt almost like a tight squeeze around her, forcing her down. It felt like she was motionless. She couldn't feel a thing. Then a noise drew her attention.

It sounded like...a laugh? Or crying. "Hello?" Suzie called out, unsure of who it could be but glad for the company in the inky blackness.

Inky...ink.

Her heart stopped for a moment.

She was dead. Those goopy things had pulled her in and burst her form like a bubble and now she was dead. Except, it was worse.

She wasn't dead. The ink that had formed Suzie had been pulled into the rest of the ink that filled the studio. She was now part of that ink. Like Sunny and June and everyone else trapped in here.

And then the voices crashed in. Her realization had broken the dam that blocked her from everyone else. Her ears were _filled _with voices. Young and old, mad and lucid, male and female. Thousands of voices speaking all at once. Sentences started but would have no end. There was laughter at the punchline of a joke with no beginning. Laughter, pleading, screaming, crying.

_"We won't reach the deadline. We have to reach–"_

_"Where are the lights? I can't see! Who turned off the lights?"_

_"–think that shot would make through editing? I mean, really..."_

_"I don't want to work here anymore!"_

_"Let us out of here!"_

_"Yeah, me and the missus have got this big holiday planned. We going–"_

_"Max!"_

_"Max, Max, Max help me-!"_

_"It's just a dream... It's only a dream..."_

_"I don't understand. I only wanted to serve him. I am loyal. His will is my command!"_

"Ron?"

Somewhere in the darkness, something flinched. It went silent. It was like all of them had been here for years, unaware of who they had been beside. There was no recognition at the other voices. All the voices flinched at one of their own being called out. "Ron?" Suzie called out again. "Is that you?"

There was silence.

Ron's pleading broke through the silence. _"My Lord, my lord, I swear I will do better next time! Can I get an amen?"_

The silence stretched. Then someone spoke up and then they all did, repeating one word.

_"Amen."_

_"Amen."_

_"Amen."_

_"Amen."_

_"Amen."_

_"Amen."_

_"Amen."_

The echo was merciless. The voices, the amens were all around Suzie. Some sounded far away while others sounded right next to her. In a crowd of thousands, she was the only silent voice. She bit her tongue in an attempt to not say the word. If she did, some part of her would break. She would end up like her grandpa's coworkers.

She had to get out.

Suzie kicked out, recoiling from the voices. Against the motionless of the bowl, she kicked and pushed and pulled, clawing for something to try and grab. She had to- she had to-

_NEED TO GET OUT!_

The ink around her burst.

* * *

Suzie came to with gentle shaking. She let out a groan, opening her eyes.

"Suzie!" Wolfie yelled, pulling her into a rib shattering hug. His expression was a mixture of barely held back panic and complete relief. "Oh, Suzie! When you just popped like that and didn't bounce back I thought you were a goner!"

"Air!" she managed to gasp out.

"Sorry!" Wolfie flinched back but kept her in close range. "What happened? Are you alright?"

"Yeah...yeah, I think so. Have you ever...burst like that?"

He shook his head. "Nope! Max says it's because me and Peace and Daemon are perfect so there's nothing to burst!" The poor wolf looked nervous. "Was it bad?"

Remembering the _amens_whispered bywhat remained of her grandfather's coworkers, Suzie shuddered. "Yeah...yeah, it was bad." They sat there for a while, Suzie managing to control her breathing. She eventually managed to stand, pulling Wolfie up with her.

She still had to find Daemon.

The two turned a corner to freeze.

Daemon Demon himself was frozen, staring at them. Suzie blinked, noticing the bucket he had been trying to put on top of a door. "Um..." he managed out. "Hi?" The next second, Suzie threw her boot at his head.

"Go find Peace!" she said to Wolfie before taking off down the hall, sans a boot. There was a screech from Daemon before footsteps followed her. Suzie mentally retraced her steps back to the circle she drew as she ran. She ran faster when she heard the mallet being pulled out.

She ended up passing her drawing. Suzie forced herself to screech to a stop before walking calmly forward. She stopped. Daemon screeched to a stop, right in the circle. They stared at each other.

"What's going on here?" the toon growled out.

"Just a little something." Suzie said. She reached behind her, pulling out a pen with a flourish. She wiggled it, showing him it was important. Then, she pointed it to the drawn circle. Daemon followed the silent instruction, Looking at the circle. He looked up at her with a raised brow.

_He's not getting the joke. Oh, @-$%, I'm gonna die. _This panicked line of thought ran through her head.

Then Daemon chuckled.

"Sneaky little girl." He said, what sounded like artless awe in his voice. Then it was like the floor was yanked out under him. Daemon fell through the hole, slide whistle playing. Then there was a loud splash, little drops of ink splashing up for effect. Putting away the pen, Suzie took a look.

The gag had worked as intended.

She had drawn a hole in the floor that led to the floor below, with a small ink puddle. Daemon sat in said puddle, looking a bit dazed. He shook his head before looking up and meeting her eyes. Then he burst into laughter.

It was actual, true laughter. It was on model, like what he was supposed to sound like. It was also the purest sound Suzie has heard since entering the studio. She couldn't help but smile a bit herself.

"You- hah! You dirty cheater!" Daemon managed to wheeze out. " You- hah! Hah hah hah! You're not supposed to- hah- be able to use toon logic! That...oh my stomach...that makes this so much more fun!"

Suzie took that as her cue to run.


	9. Chapter 9

_1930, Columbia University_

Eighteen-year-old Walt Klasky was in the middle of finishing his sketch of Daemon when a worn satchel dropped into the seat across from him. Despite the eyes he felt on him, he didn't look up until he was finished crosshatching. Leaning back in his seat, he eyed the stranger.

It was a young man- couldn't have been more than a few years old than him- with wild dark hair and rectangular glasses haphazard in that way that said they had been shoved on. If Walt had to guess, he was a few inches taller than him. Most people were.

More importantly, he had never seen him before in his life.

"Can I help you?" he said slowly.

The young man grinned as if Walt had just offered the secrets of the universe. "That little fella there yours?" he said. He jabbed a finger at the paper. Walt glanced at his sketch, then back at the man with a raised brow. The man grinned wider.

"No," Walt said, drawing the word out. "I'm just taking time away from homework to crosshatch this guy in for fun."

The man's smile grew impossibly wider. "I'm Max. Max Soundberg." he said, moving the bag to pull the chair out and sit in it. "I recognized you from our 2D drawing class. You're always hunched over something. I'm guessing that's it, right?"

"I guess it is." Walt echoed. He waited for Max to leave, but he stayed there, still grinning. "Oh, fine." His momma had taught him manners after all, even if this guy was getting on his nerves. He held a hand out. "Walt Klasky."

They reached out at the same time and gave each other a quick but firm shake.

Max still didn't leave.

"Was...there something else you wanted?"

Walt had come to this coffee shop in order to get _away _from distractions. It seemed like distraction was determined to find him, _Max Soundberg _not helping a thing. He tapped his pen against his paper, hoping the other would get a hint.

No such luck. Instead of excusing him, Max folded his arms and leaned on the table. "Aren't you going to introduce me to your friend there?"

Muttering an oath, Walt rubbed his temples. He then let out a sigh before grabbing the paper. He moved it so Max could get a better look. "This is Daemon. Daemon Demon. He-"

"Is he a bad guy?" Mistaking his glare, Max continued. "You know, the villain?"

"Oh, I understood what you meant. I was just giving you that look for interrupting me."

Max threw his head back and laughed. It was the kind that grows and grows deep in the belly and explodes outward like fireworks. It was a good minute or two before it started to slow.

Once he'd calmed down, Walt said, "To answer your question: no, Daemon's the hero."

"But you said he's a demon!"

"Yeah, and you're annoying, but that doesn't make you a villain."

Max leaned back in his chair, a light in his eye and a look saying a laugh was coming up again. He waved his hand. "Well, go on. Tell me about this little demon of yours."

Walt did. He talked about what he had figured out about the little demon so far. He talked about Daemon's antics and the trouble his gags got him in. He talked about the way the little guy just wanted to have some fun, and maybe a friend to have that fun with. He talked about how everyone treated Daemon like Max did, like he was a villain just for being what he was.

He talked about Daemon like he was a living, breathing creature. He talked about Daemon like he was Walt's own family.

And Max was enraptured. 

By the time Walt checked the time, two hours had passed. He had grown comfortable enough in Max's attentive presence to finish his sketch after their third round of coffee. The elder picked up the sketch, chuckling at the little wave Daemon was doing. "I think you've really got something here Walt. You really do." He handed the sketch back. "Mark my words. You and Daemon the Demon are going places."

"Eh," Walt shrugged a shoulder as he pulled his bag over his shoulder. "Maybe, maybe not. I've been told I'm not quite as _sociable _as needed to start something new, even with the art part down pat." He stood and turned, ready to throw a goodbye over his shoulder

"Well, I'm the opposite," Max said, standing as well. "I'm sociable, but my professors tell me that I need to work on the art part." He crossed his arms, grin turning to a considering smirk. "Quite a pair we are."

Walt froze. He looked over his shoulder. He wasn't comfortable with the look that Max was aiming him- like a lamb ready for slaughter. He gulped. "'Fraid that is the part where I excuse myself."

Max burst into laughter again, grabbing Walt's shoulder across the table. "I like you! You sass me and don't try and suck up."

"Why would I...?"

"Let's see: two years older than you, second-best grades in the animation department, and the all-around charming devil of the university." He ticked each one off his fingers, waggling his brows at the last. "Why wouldn't you?"

Walt smirked. "Because, sorry to tell you, but you're looking at the guy with the best grades in the animation department. Good day, Max Soundberg." He walked out with a two-finger salute.

Max couldn't help but let out a chuckle.

"Walt Klasky, huh."

* * *

_Now_

Suzie stumbled over the door by mistake. She was heading back to meet up with Wolfie, hoping the hallway she had taken would lead her back. It wasn't too long a journey before she heard music. If she was remembering right, it was Cab Calloway's _Minnie the Moocher_.

_"Hi-dee hi-dee hi-dee hi , h_ _i-dee hi-dee hi-dee hi..."_

She couldn't help but hum along as she walked.

_"He gave her his townhouse and his racing horses, Each meal she ate was a dozen courses..."_

Suzie stopped when she saw the door. It looked worn by time: the varnish was chipped, the glass in the window looking a little cracked, and the knob worn smooth. But the plaque was shiny. MAX SOUNDBERG was pressed in.

Curiosity made her poke her head in.

_"Whoa-a-a-a-ah, whoa-a-a-a-ah..."_

It looked like a regular office, like her mom's. Except for the pentagram on the floor, the shelves on one wall that was stuffed full of what looked like awards for _Daemon Demon_, and the radio playing the music. She walked over to it. It too looked worn by time but lovingly taken care of. She smoothed a hand over it, smiling at it. She looked around, noticing a framed picture.

It was of two men together outside of Blur Studios. There was a sign in the background that read JUST OPENED! Suzie couldn't help but smile at the sweet image. The taller man had his arm slung over the other's shoulders. The shorter held a paper up for the camera to see. She squinted to see a sketch of Daemon. He was grinning, arms spread as he was held up by the cartoon versions of the two men.

_"Poor Min, poor Min, poor Min."_

The music stopped. Suzie looked up.

"Walt?"


	10. Chapter 10

"...What?"

"You can help me," Max said, turning to her. The insane glint seemed to have gotten brighter. "You're not Walt, but you're still his blood. That might just be enough to trick the Machine."

Suzie took a step back, hands held up in a gesture of peace. "Look, I don't know...what are you doing exactly?" Everything in her was screaming for her to turn and run, find some hole where this man could never find her. But she had to stay. For Grandma Laika.

Max stared at her for a second before chuckling. "Isn't it obvious? I'm creating A NEW WORLD!" His yell echoed in the space as he threw his arms up in a grand gesture. He was grinning brightly. "Look at all this around you, this reality that bends or even breaks the laws of our own! Anything is possible here, the only limit is your own imagination!" His grin looked ready to break his face. "Think about it, Suzanne. Think about what this could mean for the animation industry, the world when we introduce it!"

"Introduce it..." Suzie mumbled. Her eyes widened in horror when she realized what he was saying. "You want to introduce this..."

"Yes!" He pointed at her with a grand, sweeping motion of his arm. Max had clearly mistaken the emotion in her voice because his grin had only gotten wider. "I knew you'd catch on quickly, just like your grandpa! Just think about it! In a world of toons, who would have to fear untimely death, when you can simply bounce back from what hit you? Who would have to worry about growing old, when age simply becomes a number? Disease, famine, even wars like the one that took Walt away, they would all be a thing of the past!" He turned to stroke the metal surface of the machine. "There are so many possibilities, countless possibilities, and it's all possible thanks to my machine."

"You're crazy!"

He froze.

Suzie gulped. "Do...do you even see?! What you did to Mr. Ron a-and Ms. Buss and Ms. Simmons- that isn't a miracle!" She took a step closer, hoping he would understand. "That's murder! What you did to me...none of this is a miracle! Ron is dead because you never told Daemon humans aren't like toons!"

"I NEVER WANTED THIS TO HAPPEN TO THEM!" Max whirled around, the sharp motion making Suzie flinch back. "But I had to! I had already come so far, turning back would have wasted everything!"

There was going to be no saving him.

Was there?

Max let out a sigh. "I had hoped you would at least see the good this would bring when I brought you here. Clearly, that was a mistake. But I've come too far to stop now, and if you're going to get in my way, Walt, then that means you're an enemy-" Suzie would've groaned if she hadn't heard the door open.

Wolfie, ears flat against his head, was poking his head in. "I heard yelling," he said softly, looking rather frightened. "Is...everything' okay?"

Suzie tried her best to smile. "I...Everything is going to be fine, just go back out-" She cut herself with a scream when a scorning sensation hit her back and flooded her with pain. She hit the floor with another scream. It crept down her back, her legs refusing to respond when she tries to move. So far, any pain she had experienced here had been dulled by her toon form. This was too real. She managed to force a hand to her side. Her hand came back black.

She could hear Wolfie let out a panicked shout of her name as she glanced back.

Her legs looked half-melted. What was worse was standing a yard away. Soundberg, hands covered by gloves, held a bottle. It was clear that whatever it had held had been thrown at her. She looked away before she started to cough. Something warm that still smelled like copper dribbled down her cheek. She felt gloved hands help her sit up.

"Mr. Max...why?" Wolfie whimpered, eyes filling with unshed tears. He was desperately looking around, looking for answers.

"He was going to betray us. Like last time." Max, cool as a cucumber, threw the bottle over his shoulder. It shattered. "I couldn't let him do that."

"B-But this is-!"

"Necessary," Max said, cutting Wolfie off. He either didn't notice or care that the wolf was staring at him in shock, moving to his desk. He opened a drawer to pull out a coil of rope. He threw it at them. "Tie him up, and then leave us. I need Walt alive for this." There was a pause. "Well?"

Wolfie finally snapped out of the shock, staring at him in open, undisguised disbelief. "W-what-? Mr. Max, this isn't right!"

"Wolfie, I'm not going to repeat myself. If Walt here won't work with me willingly, we must make him work for me. Now, tie him up!"

"D-Don't yell at him." Suzie managed out. "I and Walt are the ones you're mad at."

Max's eyes snapped to her, a snarl curling his face "That you have. You want to ruin everything I've built! This world, this machine that can change so much for the better!"

"Your world's poisoned," Suzie coughed out, feeling more ink blood roll down her chin. "It might be fine for toons, but it's not for humans! It's just not!"

"It could be. It will be."

"And how many will die for it?" she spat out in response.

Max didn't answer. Instead, he began to stride to them, nostrils flaring, "Move aside, Wolfie. If you won't do as you're told, then I'll just do it myself."

The wolf toon didn't answer. Suzie craned her neck, watching as a very deep and very unsettled realization came upon the toon. The grip on her shoulders tightened as he moved to stare at Max. He looked like he was seeing the man for the first time. "She's right..."

There was silence.

Max had frozen.

"...what did you say?"

"Suzie's right," Wolfie repeated, louder. "This world...what happened to everyone. There's something wrong with Daemon, my pal! Max, I . . . I didn't want to think you were lyin' to us! I don't wanna think that everything you showed about yourself wasn't true! But this," he glanced back at the mess of ink that Suzie's legs were. "This isn't what toons do!"

There was silence.

It was broken by a chuckle. Max had started laughing, the sound high-pitched and hysterical. "She- He's actually turned you against me! You, of all people!" Suzie groaned, realizing what turn this conversation was taking. "I created you, gave you life, and this is how you-" Max was cut off as a banjo slammed over his head. It broke with a smash and the twanging of strings. The man let out a yell of pain. Wolfie, arms still brought low, look frightened.

"Wolfie, Wolfie you gotta go-" Suzie's frantic whispers were broken when determination replaced the fear and he grabbed her. A pulse of pain raced through her systems when he grabbed her and hauled her over his shoulder like a sack. Wolfie turned and ran out the doors, Max's yelling following them.

"You're mine! Do you hear me, Walt Klasky?! MINE!"

Wolfie ran as if their lives depended on it, which they probably did. He changed directions randomly, sprinting down a few staircases, and skipping through rooms until they were far from the room with the poisonous Machine and the insane Max. "We should be safe here." the wolf said as he set her on the floor, leaning against the wall. He whimpered when he took in her legs. "What did he use?"

"Acetone, it looks like," Suzie said after taking another look. "Cartoonists back in the day used it as ink remover..." She stopped when she noticed Wolfie's ears moving downwards. "I'm sure he wasn't going to use it against you guys."

"He might now," Wolfie said softly. He had a point. Suzie sighed before patting him on the head. He hummed at the affection. After a minute, he pulled away with a small smile. "I have an idea on how to fix your legs!"

"Great, we need to move soon." Maybe talk to Peace and Daemon...something was shoved into her hand. She glanced at it. "What am I supposed to do with this bottle of ink?"

"Drink it!"

...

Okay.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max needs Ron's help. Suzie dreams.

_1943, Blur Studios_

Ron Meneken tapped off the ash at the end of his cigarette as he walked the empty halls of the studio. They were quiet, darker than they used to be, and almost entirely empty. Things had been going downhill for several years now, ever since Walt had been kicked out. It _showed_.

Not that Ron was going to admit to that, much less to Walt.

_Ever_.

He stopped in front of Soundberg's office, frowning around his smoke. He had no idea why he had been summoned at such a late hour. He had a suspicion it had something to do with the scene with June and poor Sunny last week. He rapped out a tune on the wood of the door.

Ron had no idea why Sunny had been replaced. She had been the best voice for Peace and everyone knew it. Walt, the creator of Peace, said so himself! But the cartoons had been going downhill recently, especially with the treatment of Daemon...

The door opened, revealing Max Soundberg in all his glory.

"Why," Ron said, leaning forward a bit, "if I'm not mistaken, the bags under your eyes have gotten even darker." Soundberg glared. The music director welcomed it- besides Sunny being suddenly replaced by June and the rumors of her and Max being seen on a _date _of all things and the whole Machine business, it had been his and Walt's job to keep his ego in check. He had to make up for being a one-man show. "Anyway, what do you want at this ungodly hour?"

"There's an issue with the Machine and I need your help." Max pushed by him, starting to walk down the hallway. Ron was left standing there, blinking in confusion. Max Soundberg, unless it was Walt Klasky, never said he needed anyone.

This smelled fishy.

"Coming?"

Ron, biting his lip, followed.

* * *

_Now_

Suzie woke up in a hallway.

She couldn't help but stare at the posters lining the walls- she knew this place. This was the entrance to the studio. It had been the hallway she had walked through what felt like _days _ago. Had it been days? Were her parents looking for her?

She headed down the hallway, unsure why. The exit was right behind her.

Before Suzie realized it, she was back in the projection room. The projector started playing, showing Daemon on-screen. She crossed her arms with a frown. "Alright, what do you want?" she called out.

Daemon narrowed his eyes, the sunny smile flipping into a frown. "Funny you should ask that." She stumbled back, swallowing a yelp of surprise. She actually did scream when he _grabbed _the edges of the screen to pull himself through. His feet hit the floor with wet splats, his body distorting and _dripping_. Suzie's back hit the wall as she stared at the Ink Demon.

"You see, _Suzie_," His voice grew distorted as he approached. "Walt left us here to rot and be forgotten. But...maybe, just maybe..." She yelped when he grabbed her arms, pulling her closer. "You can fix those mistakes. I'd watch my back if I was you, you're in dangerous territory."

He released her arms to give her a shove.

Suzie stumbled, tripping into an ink puddle she hadn't seen before.

_"See ya around, Suzie."_


End file.
